Sash holding device



Maid! 1953 A. A. SAWYER 2,825,554 SASH HOLDING DEVICE Filed July 23,1953 INVENTOR r ABM/5A. 5A wrE/z ATTORNEY United States Patent SASHHOLDING DEVICE Archie A. Sawyer, Laramie, Wyo.

Application July 23, 1953, Serial No. 369,918

Claims. (Cl. 268-428) This invention relates to a sash holding device,and has particular reference to a device for holding in adjustedvertical positions a window sash preferably operable by power means suchas cables and pulleys for vertically adjusting the window.

An important object of the invention is to provide a novel simplifiedtype of device operable in conjunction with a window sash, preferably ofthe plate glass type, for holding the sash in any vertically adjustedposition and to permit it easily to be moved upwardly or downwardly asdesired.

A further object is to provide such a device which is particularlyintended for use with a cable operating means which, in itself, forms nopart of the present invention, and wherein the device provides means forholding a sash in any adjusted position and permits the free upwardmovement of the sash while preventing downward movement thereof exceptthrough proper operation of the holding means.

A further object is to provide such a device wherein an operating arm,attached to the window in a novel manner, has its lower end inclinedoutwardly for engagement with a surface of the window casing to act as abrake to prevent downward movement of the window under its own weightfrom any adjusted position, but wherein the braking pressure on the armis released by transmission of a pull thereon in a direction to move thesash downwardly, the sash being freely movable upwardly without anyeffective braking action.

A further object is to provide such a device wherein the braking armextends downwardly and outwardly at a slight angle from the edge of thesash into engagement with a braking surface and is urged into brakingengagement with such surface, and wherein the transmission of a pullthrough a cable or the like directly vertically downwardly on the armreleases its braking engagement with the sash to permit the window to hemoved downwardly.

A further object is to provide such a device wherein certain operatingparts may be omitted if the device is to be operated by cable meanshaving its own holding means associated therewith, thus rendering thebraking device of the present invention unnecessary in operation.

In the drawing I have shown one embodiment of the invention. In thisshowing:

Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view through a window frame showingthe invention applied, parts being broken away;

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 22 ofFigure 1;

Figure 3 is .a detail horizontal sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view looking in the same direction asFigure 2 but showing the parts in section;

Figure 5 is an edge elevation of the holding device, and

Figure 6 is a detail side elevation showing a modified 2 use of thedevice without the employment of the braking means.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly Figures 1 and 2, the numeral10 designates a window frame as a whole the particular form of which isunimportant in the present invention. The window frame accordingly neednot be described in detail. It will be noted however that the frame isvertically recessed as at 11 for reception of the parts of the presentinvention described below. The recess 11 preferably is provided in theback wall thereof with a felt or similar layer 12 forming a frictionsurface engageable with a brake arm to be referred to.

The present invention has been illustrated in conjunction with plateglass windows, two of which have been shown in Figure 1 and indicatedrespectively by the numerals 13 and 14, the former of which may be theupper of a pair of window sashes and the latter of which is the lowersash. In the present installation, the face of the frame 10 adjacent thewindow and on opposite sides of the recess 11 is provided with a pair ofclamping devices 15 attached to the window frame and supporting felt orsimilar strips 16 engageable with the remote faces of the sashes 13 and14. Between these sashes is arranged another felt strip 17 supportedwith respect to the inner extremity of the groove 11 by one or morespacers 18 through which pass screws 19 for attaching the felt strip inposition as shown in Figure 1. Accordingly, it will be apparent that theplate glass sashes operate between adjacent pairs of felt strips toprovide leak proof joints.

A holding unit is employed in conjunction with each of the sashes, andeach holding unit is indicated as a whole by the numeral 22. Each ofthese units comprises a casing shaped as shown in profile in Figure 2and comprising side walls 23 which extend downwardly to form the sidewalls of an arm 24 which is inclined toward the left as shown in Figure2 whereby its lower flattened end 25 is adapted to seat against the feltstrip 12 in the bottom of the recess 11, as shown in Figure 2. The arm24 is provided with inner and outer Walls 26 and 27 (Figure 4) theformer of which terminates at its upper end as at 28 to form an opening29 in the wall 26 of the hold ing device.

The holding device is substantially enlarged horizontally at its upperend and receives a wheel 32 adapted to engage and roll over the feltstrip 12 as shown in Figure 2. This wheel 32 is rotatably supported withrespect to the holding device by means of a shaft 32' extending throughthe side Walls 23.

To the right of the wheel 32, the housing of the holding device ishorizontally extended as at 33 and receives a socket 34 (Figures 3 and4) receiving a ball 35 having an opening 36 therethrough for a purposeto be described. The ball 35 carries a stem37 riveted to a spring member38 intermediate the ends thereof. This spring member is in the form of aleaf spring having diverging arms 39 terminating in ends 49 lying in acommon plane and slidable beneath lips 41 carried by a channeled strip42 embracing the edge of the associated sash as shown in Figure 3. Thechannel 42 may be retained in fixed posi tion relative to the sash inanysuitable manner, for example, by being cemented thereto. It will beapparent in Figure 4 that there is free play beyond the ends of the fiatspring portions 40 whereby distortion of the spring incident to altering:the angular position of the ball stem 37 permits free movement of thespring ends 40. This movement is also permitted through anyirregularities in the cooperating parts of the device by which the stem37 may be forced toward the edge .of the .sash to expand the spring endsfor movement awayfrom each other. At the same time, the spring formspositive means for con-1 necting the ball 35 to the adjacent edge of theadjacent as having an operating crank 53.

sash, and the ball 35 in turn supports the body of the holding device22.

To the arm 24 near the, lower end thereof is secured a stem 44, weldedorv otherwise secured to the arm 24, and extending therefromsubstantially perpendicular to the adjacent edge of the adjacent sash.The stem '44 extends relatively loosely into the open end of a sleeve45, secured by welding or the like, to the outer face of the lower endportion of the channel 42. A compression spring46 is arranged in thetube 45 and urges the lower end of the arm 24 into engagement with thefelt strip 12.

The device as illustrated and described is intended to be operated bysuitable mechanism of more or less conventional type such as a cabledevice running around pulleys, and since such device forms no part perse of the present invention it has been diagrammatically shown in Figure2. Referring to such figure, the numeral 50 designates a cable as awhole having an end 51 connected at its upper end to the lower end ofthe arm 24 and extending downwardly around a pulley 52 shown in thepresent instance Beyond the pulley 52, the cable extends upwardly as at54 and around an upper pulley 55, thence downwardly as at 56 forconnection with the top wall 57 of the holding device 22. It will benoted that the end 51 of the cable is substantially vertical and when apull is exerted thereon, the line of pull will be at a slight angle tothe arm 24, to relieve braking pressure of this arm against the feltstrip 12 as will become be attached to the ball by being passed throughthe v opening 36 therein. The spring 38 under such conditions provides acushioned connection between the cable 60 and the associated sash, thespring 38 being capable of flexing and distortion to cushion any suddenforces applied to the window through the cable 60.

Operation The holding device for each of the sashes will operate in amanner which will be clear from an examination of Figures 2 and 4, andaccordingly, the operation need be described only as to one such holdingdevice. The

holding devices will be identical for the two sashes as stated and thesesashes preferably but not necessarily 1 are mounted in the manner shownin Figure 1, the sashes being of plate glass and operating within thefelt strips 16 and 17 which form sealing means as well as guiding meansfor the sashes.

Assuming that the window is to be raised, the crank 53 may be rotatedcounterclockwise to pull down on the cable run 54 and exert an upwardforce on the cable end 56, which force will be transmitted to the bodyof the holding device 22. Inasmuch as the arm 24 is arranged at an acuteangle to the strip 12, a direct upward force may be applied through thecable end 56 to elevate the sash, the brake surface 25 merely slidingover the felt strip 12. If desired, the sash may be directly manuallyraised by exerting an upward force thereon in the usual manner, andagain the braking surface 25 will merely slide over the felt 12.

'It will be apparent that the arm 24 has its surface 25 engaging thefelt strip 12 and any tendency for the window sash to lower of its ownweight, or under the influence offorce applied directly thereto, willtend to swing the arm 24 toward the left as shown in Figure 2, the lowerend of this arm thereupon acting as a brake to'prevent downward movementof the window. This'braking action is greatly enhanced bythe use of thespring 46 which urges the braking face 25 into: firm engagement with thefelt and at a slight angle to this arm, and results in a resultant forceacting toward. the right at the lower end of the arm 24 as viewed inFigure 2, thus tending to move the lower end of this arm toward theright against the tension of the spring 46. This force may, and usuallydoes, actually move the braking face 25 out of engagement with the strip12. Appreciable movement is unnecessary since the forces transmitted tothe lower end of the arm in the manner stated will relieve brakingpressures of the surface 25 against the felt 12, and accordingly, thewindow will be lowered. The force referred to, acting downwardly on thelower end of the arm, not only tends to swing such end of the arminwardly but also transmits a force through'the body of the holdingdevice to the ball 35, thence through stem 37 and spring 38 to thechannel 42 to lower the window. Accordingly, it will be apparent thatthe window readily may be raised either. by the application of directmanual force to the window or by rotating the crank 53 in acounterclockwise direction, and the window readily may be lowered byrotating the crank 53 in a clockwise direction to pull downwardly on thecable end 51 to swing the lower end of the arm 24 to the right and apply:force therethrough to the window through the ball 35 and associatedelements.

The spring 38 cushions raising and lowering forces transmitted to thesash. Additionally, the springsat .opposite sides of each sash exertoutward forces to .maintain the wheels or rollers 32 in firm rollingengagement with the strips 12, thus stabilizing the sash in anyposition.

Where the raising and lowering meansis provided with its own holdingmeans, the body of the holding device, the stem 44, tube 45 and spring46 may be eliminated, thus leaving only the ball 35 and associatedelements. Under such conditions, the cable may be directly connected tothe ball as suggested in Figure 6, and movement of the cable 60 by theoperating means associated there with will readily raise and lower thewindow. Under such conditions, the spring 38 again acts as a movable anddeformable cushion means for transmitting forces to the sash.

It will be apparent that each of the holding devices may be madeentirely as a self contained unit and readily attached to the window. Itmerely is necessary to manufacture the window frame at each side of thewindow with the vertical groove or recess 11, attach the holding deviceto each edge of the sash and insert it in position. The device is simplein construction and quite rugged, and provides a highly simplified typeof holding means whereby a vertically movable sash maybe held in anydesired vertically adjusted position. I

The device shown embodies the inventionin a preferred form, but it isintended that the disclosure be illustrative rather than definitive, theinvention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A device for holding in vertically adjusted positions a window sashoperable in conjunction with a frame having a friction surface parallelto the edge vof the sash,v

. comprising a hollow body formed relatively flat and ing therefromtoward the sash, resilient means connect ing said shank to the edge ofthe sash to fix said body' resiliently with rmpect to the sash, saidbody. having an arm inclined downwardly away from the edge of the sashand provided adjacent its lower end with a smooth surface engageableflat against said friction surface, said surfaces being spaced laterallyfrom the sash a greater distance than said socket whereby the weight ofthe sash tends to swing said arm away from the sash to maintainengagement between said surfaces to hold the sash against downwardmovement.

2. A device according to claim 1 provided with resilient means arrangedbetween said arm and the edge of the sash and urging the lower end ofsaid arm away from the edge of the sash to tend to maintain saidsurfaces in engagement with each other.

3. A device according to claim 1 provided with a wheel rotatablysupported in said body and projecting from the edge thereof opposite theedge of the sash and in engagement with said friction surface, saidWheel having its axis substantially above said smooth surface and spacedlaterally therefrom away from said friction surface.

4. A device for holding in vertically adjusted positions a window sashoperable in conjunction with a frame having a friction surface parallelto the edge of the sash, comprising a body arranged adjacent the edge ofthe sash, a leaf spring having opposite end portions diverging towardthe edge of the window, means for anchoring the center of said leafspring to said body, a channel fixed to the edge of the sash andprovided with vertically spaced lips parallel to the plane of the edgeof the sash and beneath which the extremities of said spring areslidabie, a roller carried by the side of said body opposite the sashand engageable with said friction surface to roll thereover, said leafspring urging said body away from the edge of the window to maintainsaid roller in engagement with said friction surface, said body having alower arm diverging downwardly away from the edge of the sash andprovided adjacent its lower end with a smooth surface lying flat againstsaid friction surface, said means for anchoring the center of said leafspring to said body being spaced laterally a substantial distance fromsaid friction surface whereby the weight of the sash tends to maintainsaid smooth surface against said friction surface to hold said sashagainst downward movement.

5. A device according to claim 4 provided with an operating cable havingone end connected to the top of said body, upper and lower pulleys, saidend of said cable extending over said upper pulley, then downwardlyaround said lower pulley and having its other end extending upwardly,said other end of said cable being connected to the lower end of saidarm at a point closer to said friction surface than said means foranchoring the center of said leaf spring to said body whereby a downwardpull on said other end of said cable transmits forces to said armincluding a resultant force laterally away from said friction surface totend to release said surfaces from each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS151,189 Zimmerman May 19, 1874 704,433 Brauer July 8, 1902 806,909Overly Dec. 12, 1905 911,351 Wiegert Feb. 2, 1909 1,290,451 WilliamsJan. 7, 1919 1,352,875 Chafiee Sept. 14, 1920 1,491,206 Fritz Apr. 22,1924 1,514,927 Powers Nov. 11, 1924 1,697,951 Frary Jan. 8, 19291,823,363 Johnson Sept. 15, 1931 1,963,790 Jepsen June 19, 1934

